


Green Eyes

by Theblacksheep24



Category: Portrait de la jeune fille en feu | Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:07:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22796803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theblacksheep24/pseuds/Theblacksheep24
Summary: Marianne is looking for inspiration. But when a Blonde captures her attention, she begins to wonder if she got more than she could have ever bargained for.
Relationships: Héloïse & Marianne (Portrait of a Lady on Fire), Héloïse/Marianne (Portrait of a Lady on Fire)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 59





	Green Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> AU, the late 1890s. Based in Milan.

Marianne wakes up to light filtering through the skylight above her bed. Marianne sleeps in a small loft above her father’s studio. He no longer works at the actual studio. He travels around Europe occasionally, painting something for a wealthy friend he has made in his long and lustrous career. Leaving Marianne to work and create what she can in her own space.

Marianne attempts to wash the paint off of her hands but givens up shortly, a painter's hands can never really stay clean. She has been searching for inspiration lately. Marianne has saved up enough money from portrait commissions this past winter and spring to attempt some more creative pieces, originals. She hopes to hold an exhibit at the end of the season. But so far, she is short of any ideas and curiosities to push forward. Maybe going down to the square to observe the crowds will help, Marianne figures it's a least worth an attempt.

Marianne was sitting at a small table in the corner of a fenced-off part of the square. She had been sitting in this location all morning. Trying to find some spark of inspiration. She has several empty coffee cups beside her and a half-eaten pastry. She brought her notebook and her charcoals, but she has yet to put anything to paper. She brings her thumb up to her lip and bites at the nail. Frustrated in herself, she sighs. She sets down her notebook and reaches for some coins in her pocket to leave on the table. She stands up when she hears a commotion from across the square. A man has stumbled into someone's fruit stand. Marianne finds herself laughing lightly as a rather stout man chases after several rolling apples. It is at that moment she catches a glimpse of blonde hair. A woman stops and picks up a nearby apple, bringing it to the red-faced fruit stand owner. He thanks her with exaggerated hand motions, the blonde just nods, smiling, and turns to leave. Marianne quickly picks up her notebook and leaves the café.

Her feet are driven by their own desire as she is crossing the square, passing through crowds of people. It is just about noon, so there are many people to meander around. She tries to lift her head above the crowd to keep track of the woman. She can see her hair color dart back and forth.

The crowd breaks, and Marianne can see the mystery woman turn down a side street. Before she can continue, a baby carriage stops in front of her, causes her to stumble on her footing.

"oh, I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying enough attention. He's so unhappy today." The young-looking mother looks up at Marianne with tired eyes.

"Oh, it's fine, please don't apologize. I hope he feels better soon."

The words seem to lift a little weight off the mother's shoulders, and Marianne places her hand on her shoulder before continuing on her stride. She gets to the side street where she saw the blonde turn and sees it empty. Her heart sinks. She picks up her pace, hoping to find the blonde further down the road. But she is nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Marianne went searching for inspiration and found it. But she is starting to wonder if she was better off before. Her brain just keeps turning over the image of the blonde. She wants to know everything about this woman, but for all, she knows she might never see her again.

Marianne takes a stroll through town. She stops in a book shop. As she enters, a bell chimes above the door.

"Oh, hello, Marianne!" The shop keeper calls from over the counter.

Marianne smiles. She raises her hand in a small wave. "Hello, Mr. Angelo."

Marianne walks further into the shop and down an aisle t her left. She enters the ‘poetry’ section and looks under ‘D.” She hears a faint meow and glances down.

"Good morning Sofia," Marianna coos as she kneels down to pet the friendly speckled cat now weaving in between her legs.

Just then, the bell above the door chimes again. From where Marianne is kneeling, there is a gap in the books on the shelf. She can see a blue dress walk past the opening.

"Salve Signora," Angelo calls out to greet his new potential customer.

"Uh, hello." A woman's voice answers.

Marianne rises up to her feet. She walks to the end of the aisle and peaks her head around the end cap. Marianne can see the end of the blue dressed woman turn into an aisle across the room, but she couldn't make out any more of the person. She was just about to follow when someone started knocking on the window to the left of Marianne. She turns and recognizes a painter she knows from school. He motions her to come outside. She takes one last look and resigns her curiosity about the new customer and proceeds outside.

* * *

Marianne had been invited to a small art exhibition in a more industrial part of town. Marianne knew the artist from a circle of friends she only mildly enjoys being involved with. However, she is a rising member of the art community and takes these events with great seriousness, so she attends regardless of those who she will have to talk to in attendance.

Marianne was looking at one of the pieces on display. She had gone to school with the artist. She finds herself admiring how he's grown in the past few years when a voice caught her attention.

“Do you know the artist of this piece?” A somewhat low toned female voice asked Marianne.

Marianne turned and was face to face with her mystery woman. The response fell from her tongue, and she felt like her brain suddenly went blank. The woman in front of her smiled and looked at her curiously. Marianne licks her lips and darts her eyes from the woman in front of her eyes to her lips.

"uh yeah, yes, I do. I studied with him in school."

The woman in front of her presses her lips together and nods.

"So, you also paint?" The blonde woman asks. Looking more intently at Marianne now than the painting.

Marianne takes a breath through her mouth, her heart rate picking up significantly as the woman in front of continues to look at her. Marianne starts to fiddle with her hands, clasped in front of her.

“I do, I work for my father right now, in his studio but I will take it over full time soon.”

The woman in front of Marianna nods slightly and smiles a soft smile.

"I'll be honest. I have a great interest in all forms of art, but I'm afraid the concept of painting might be tainted for me." Hélöise finishes her sentence with a hint of vulnerability and glances down to Marianne’s hands.

Hélöise smiles when she can see the remnants of paint on the darker haired woman’s hands.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Marianne responds with sincerity.

“Maybe…” Hélöise raises her eyes to catch Marianne’s gaze. “Maybe you could change my mind.” Hélöise’s features change into a small smile. Her eyes fill with a sense of curiosity.

Marianna laughs lightly to herself and brings her hand up to her forehead. It is then that she notices the blotches of blue paint on her knuckles and flushes. She brings her hand quickly down and puts it in her pockets.

“I’m Hélöise”

Hélöise sticks out her hand, and Marianne takes it in hers, shaking it. Marianne looks down at their clasped hands. She notices the softness of Hélöise’s skin. The pigmentation of her skin.

“Marianne.”

Hélöise drops her hand.

"I have to leave, but I would like to come to your studio. I'm staying here for the next few months, and I want to see and experience as much art and life as I can."

Marianne smiles, "I'm not sure if the best tour guide."

"That not what I want. So far, you're the only interesting person I've met here in Milan. Or rather the only person I've wanted to talk to further."

Hélöise’s honesty hits Marianne in a way she could not have expected.

"Okay, well, my studio is just off the right of the main square do you know where that is?" Marianne asked, her voice wavering a bit with nerves. She hoped Hélöise could not tell.

“yes I think so, I was there the other day.”

Marianne has to stop herself from saying, 'yes, I know I saw you there.'

"Okay, so go past the café, and there is a side street on the left. My studio is number 28." Marianne continued her instructions.

Hélöise nodded. “Okay, what time is good for me to swing by?”

“Anytime really, how about 10?”

Hélöise smiles, and grabs Marianne’s hand and squeezes it lightly “see you then, Marianne.”

* * *

“Do people model for you?” Hélöise asks as she walks around the studio, stopping at anything she finds attractive to examine further.

"I do, yes," Marianne answers from where she is standing, in the center of the room, watching the blonde.

Hélöise sets down a brush and turns to face Marianne.

“Who models for you? Women? Men?” Hélöise’s eyes are sharp on Marianne, she feels captured by her gaze. But she doesn’t feel the desire to free herself.

“Both. I have to paint men for discretely because of social convention, but it’s important to learn both types of bodies.”

Hélöise walks closer to Marianne, "Do you have a preference?"

Marianne’s eyebrows raise slightly. Unsure of how to interpret the question. Hélöise takes a step closer to Marianne, now closer to Hélöise than what most would consider socially acceptable. Marianne licks her lips.

“Uh, I’m not sure what you mean.”

Hélöise walks up to Marianne, leans next to her ear, and asks in a hushed tone.

"I asked you what you prefer, Marianne."


End file.
